The mega-fight between undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez and unbeaten four-division champion Terence Crawford has moved from Friday, Sept. 12, to Saturday, Sept. 13.
The venue originally announced for the fight, Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, is also likely to change.
Turki Alalshikh, Saudi Arabia‘s chairman of the general entertainment authority, made the announcement to Ring Magazine on Tuesday. Alalshikh purchased the magazine last year.
The fight will be the first event promoted by Alalshikh and UFC CEO Dana White’s TKO boxing promotion.
The Friday date was originally announced so as to not compete with the Saturday slate of college football games. Rescheduling to Saturday also puts Canelo-Crawford up against UFC 320, branded as Noche UFC, tentatively scheduled to take place in Mexico in celebration of Mexican Independence Day.
“The Riyadh Season event could land in five potential locations across New York City, Los Angeles or Las Vegas,” Ring Magazine posted on X.
UNLV is scheduled to host Idaho State at Allegiant Stadium on Sept. 13.
There was no reason provided for the date and venue change. However, White recently told ESPN Deportes’ Carlos Legaspi that he “hates” the idea of Canelo-Crawford happening at a stadium instead of an arena.
“When they say we’re promoting it, I’m doing the promotion, the production, the event ops, the [public relations], everything to do with the fight just like a UFC fight,” White said over the weekend. “While at the same time promoting UFC Noche. It will all be the same weekend.”
In addition to the date and venue change, the fight will now be available on pay-per-view rather than streaming on an alternative broadcast option.
Source: espn.com